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of Jesus |
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Luke.14
[25] Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them,
Why did God create the family structure -- Father and Mother, brother and sisters -- if we are to turn around and hate them? Seems like a paradox. Some from a unbelieving crowd call this a vicious game or, Why would a loving creator give us these tendencies than tell us it is wrong to have these desires?
[26] If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Vicious game?
MY ANSWER
The words in the above utterance of the Lord are not mine -- they came from the Lord Jesus as everyone can see that can read. If it is a vicious game, then the Lord is surely a vicious gamester! They condemn him, not us.
The question you direct to me below is perhaps the ultimate one. Accepting all the utterances of Jesus our Lord, and believing that their application is imperative if anyone is to enter into the kingdom of God, is the choice set before us. It does, indeed, present a hard choice. And so we are tempted to ask, Why? And so you ask:
Why did He create the family structure Father and Mother, brother and sisters if we are to turn around and hate them?Jesus, in the gospels, did not offer us a direct answer to the Why question. And yet, it is clearly a question that all of us are tempted to ask before we invest all of our hopes for life in this world in the more distant hope for life in the Eternal Glory. Surely, knowing that his disciples will ask this question and ponder it in their hearts, yet offering no answer to it, means there must be a reason for this also, which prompts another Why? I asked this question for a long time before I could accommodate my heart to the Great Correlate. I have sought to throw some light on the question in a number of my papers. The little book, Jesus and Science, beginning with this chapter are offered for your consideration as contributing to this answer.
Why would a loving creator give us these tendencies than tell us it is wrong to have these desires?
Having received an answer that satisfies me and leaves me confident, I can now suggest some reasons that Jesus did not answer this question explicitly. My suggestions are:
1. The answer to Why? is clearly implicit in the utterances of Jesus, so much so that he did not expect us to need a more explicit response to the question. (the Jesus part)This last reason is one that I am uniquely qualified to understand because of childhood experience under a man who was a stern disciplinarian. Charles Penn Jones was a loving person with a tender heart who always did what he thought best in the interest of his offspring. He also knew exactly how to make a strong impression that minimized incidents of punishment, which he secured by means of three features of his discipline. I list them here:
2. The answer to Why? is clearly obvious in the light of all the facts we have as to the characteristics of the world and of our lives within the world. (the science part)
3. Any explicit answer Jesus could have given his immediate disciples in the First Century would only have confused them because they did not have sufficient understanding of the world and their place in the world to comprehend an answer at that time. We have adequate understanding of the world in our time, today, and so are better equipped to understand Why?.
4. Asking Why? before deciding to respond is an act of impertinent insubordination, one that immediately challenges the authority of the Lord and of the Father.
1. Corporal punishment for disobedience or disrespect was immediate, severe and without appeal or explanation. I think he thus punished me about three times altogether. I still remember!For the same reasons, the Father in heaven is not inclined to accept and respond to Why? when asked by his children on the earth if their response remains conditional on the answer. It shows a lack of respect for His authority, and a lack of trust in Him. If we love him unconditionally, we desire only to obey HIm as his will becomes know to us through the commandments and principles enunciated by Jesus, and this we will do whether we understand Why? or not. We will do this because we love Him and trust him to know what is best and good for us.
2. Having given a clear instruction, he did not repeat himself. So I learned early to listen carefully and not to ask, "What?" To do so was to invite punishment for not listening -- an act of disrespect!
3. To ask Why? before obeying was not allowed. This would have been questioning his authority, as though he had an obligation to explain his reasons before I decided whether or not to obey him.
And yet, Charles Penn Jones seemed always to have had a very good reason for whatever instruction he gave me, and meant it all for my good. I learned this as I grew older and loved an respected him all the more for it. So, likewise, our only Father has a good answer to Why? and He enlightens us as time passes and we draw closer to Him. Again, it is as Jesus said:John.14
[15] If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
So it is that I have come to understand the Why? by continuing in his Word, according to his promise:Mark.4
[22] For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.
John.8
[31] If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,
The answer to Why? that has come to me is what I have sought to set forth in the little book, Jesus and Science. But to read it all may be too much to ask you when you seek an immediate answer, so I will make an effort to provide a condensed answer to Why? in the following list, with the stipulation that, should this not be adequate, you will need to go to the book -- or just wait and listen; the Lord will give you the answer! Here is my best effort at a condensed answer to Why?:
[32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
1. The Father's single will for us is that we become, through the Resurrection, His royal children in His kingdom and Glory, there to abide forever in peace, through love, and to do his will.It makes sense to me. As I continue to follow Jesus in the course of my life in this world, I can greatly rejoice and look to the exit, for it is surely not far ahead of me now! In that day I will see him in his Glory, and I will know Why?
2. In likeness to the Father, children must possess will, intellect and the freedom to exercise them.John.6
[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;
[39] and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
[40] For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
3. The freedom of the will is meaningless apart from options. Therefore the Father has provided this world and the life we have in it as the option to His Glory and the Life that we are offered there.Matt.5
[48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
4. The options are meaningless unless we can comprehend them. Therefore he has given us relationships on earth, in this life, by which to understand the relationship Father/child and brother/sister/mother that He desires to impart to us in His Glory.John.12
[25] He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Matt.23
[9] And Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
5. Again, options are meaningless unless they have an equivalence or by some means can be made to seem equivalent. If one's option is a clearly displayed penny in one hand and a clearly displayed $1,000,000 in the other, there is no real option. Therefore, life in this world has somewhat to offer so as to render it attractive, as a penny is to a child, whereas Life in the Eternal Glory is largely concealed from us so as to protect the evaluation of the penny and the freedom of the will. Yet we must choose where our treasure lies:Matt.12
[46] While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
[48] But he replied to the man who told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?
[49] And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers!
[50] For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.
6. Finally, there are no options unless we are informed of them. That is what Jesus did when he came into the world -- informed us of our options. Then, to give us no excuse for not understanding the options, he became as a man in our midst and himself made the exemplary choice, finalizing it in Gethsemane and on the cross.Matt.6
[19] Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,
[20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
[21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matt.16
[24] Then Jesus told his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
If you think on it, you will also see that he has answered not one Why?, but many. We know why evil exists, why the circumstances of our lives on earth are such as they are, including both joy and pain, and why we must die to this world. And it all makes perfect sense!
Here, in conclusion, is an even shorter answer to your Why?:
The experience of family in the world is essential to informing us of the family in heaven so that we can make a valid choice.
Peace to you,
Brother Ed.